Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Charming

Not bad for a selfie photo. There’s a bit of lint on my sweater, but I’m not being picky.

I loved making this. I loved it so much I made another one for my BFF. I might make a third, I don’t know, I don’t feel like I’m done with these yet.

The charms are a mix of orphaned earrings, pendants, and doodads I made using beads from my collection. Some of these things I’ve had for a looooong time—that square-ish looking clear dangler at the lower right corner is actually a crystal pyramid pendant I bought in a hippie shop back in 1986, maybe in hopes of cleansing my chakras or something. That store had Janis Joplin sunglasses and ponchos made of blankets woven in the Andes, and incense burners shaped like the smiling Buddha—all the same stuff you can get at 6T’s now, but at the time, and I was a small-town girl, it seemed so, you know, authentic. I had just read The Dharma Bums and was looking for Truth and Poetry, trying to care about tea leaves and handmade pottery. I bought a silver yin/yang ring there, too, for six dollars. That’s still around here somewhere.

You want to get in touch with your inner hippie now, too? I knew it, you guys are my people. Okay, you’ll need a #5 steel crochet hook (one of those small, scary-ish ones) and some fingering weight yarn—I used Tahki Cotton Classic Lite. You’ll also need to make (or procure) about thirty dangly charms. For most of these, I just poked a headpin through the hole of a bead and wrapped it in a loop at the top, around the tip of some round pliers. Make sure your crochet hook fits through the loop. If your loop is too small, add a jump ring. You’ll also need a two-hole button, with holes big enough for the yarn to fit through.

Chain 232, and then sl st in 12th chain from hook, making a loop. Work a whole bunch of scs into the loop, working all the way around it, until the loop is covered and you’re back where you started. Sl st in the joining ch.

Sc in next 4 chs, then place a charm. Do this by sticking the tip of your hook through the loop or jump ring on your charm and then work the sc in the next ch, pulling the yarn through the loop. *Sc 5, place charm; rep from * to end, sc 4. Tie a knot, thread the two tails through the holes of the button and tie another knot. You’re done!

It wraps four times, then the button goes through the loop to close. You can make it shorter, or longer, or with fewer charms and more spaces between them, or put a charm in every sc if you wanna. I tried to write this all down as I went, but the math and/or stitch counts might work out differently when you do it. Be all hippie about it, all whatever, man. And I dare you to make just one.

32 comments:

How lovely boho and eclectic.... Nice way to use bits and pieces with memories.... I like it, it looks very comfortable to wear as well, which is essential to me, I hate to wear stiff, cold hard, metal ones.Great idea!

Oooh I love this Kristen! Right up my alley, I would even wear one around my ankle during summer. Don't think I have that teeny of a hook, need to check on that, but I do have lots of little doo-daddy things to hang on it, including a favorite pair of earrings which just lost it's mate under the car tires in the driveway. Great rainy (snowy) day project.

Its gorgeous Kristen! Definitely my kind of thing ! I love the idea of using up all my "orphaned earings" I seem to have more than I'd like at the moment! I quite fancy the idea of making a necklace like this xox Thanks so much for sharing and inspiring x Penelope

Very "hippie"-ish, but in a good way! I've been looking for bracelets lately, but making one myself is sounding more and more attractive, thanks to this. And yes, the "small scary-ish" crochet hooks can indeed be scary. Why must they be so darn small!

Wow...the hippie era! Brings back tons of memories like being at the orginal woodstock. Gosh I remember watching Janis Joplin sing...Crazy Day! Thanks for the trip back in time, love the braclet, you're so creative.